iPhone iOS5 - What's New?

Thinking about downloading the new operating system for your iPhone? Yea, me too.  Here's how to do it:

1. Check for the newest version of iTunes - you must have version 10.5 in order to download the new iOS5

2. Connect your phone to your computer.

3. Wait.

So what's new about the iOS5?

iOS 5 Software Update

This update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

• Notifications
• Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center (Notification Center?  No more annoying Pop-Up notifications!)
• New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen
• View notifications from lock screen
• Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app
• iMessage
• Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users
• Track messages with delivery and read receipts (Ooooh! Stalk-central like BBM!)
• Group messaging and secure encryption
• Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi*
• Newsstand (Maybe I should look into some subscriptions because I don't know what this is.)
• Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
• Displays the cover of the latest issue
• Background downloads of new issues 
• Reminders for managing to do lists
• Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook (FINALLY!!!!!!!!)
• Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• Built-in support for Twitter
• Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
• Add location to any tweet
• View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts
• Camera improvements for devices with cameras
• Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
• Volume Up button to take a picture (WOW)
• Optional grid lines to line up shots
• Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
• Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
• Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock

• Photo improvements for devices with cameras (THESE ARE SO DOPE!)
• Crop and rotate
• Red eye removal
• One tap enhance
• Organize photos into albums
• Mail improvements (I'M SO GIDDY OVER THESE!!!!)
• Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts 
• Indentation control
• Drag to rearrange names in address fields
• Flag messages
• Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread (ESPECIALLY THIS!!!!)
• Customize mail alert sounds (AND THIS!!!!)
• S/MIME (WTF IS THIS???)
• Calendar improvements
• Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
• Tap to create an event
• View and add event attachments
• Game Center improvements
• Use personal photos for your Game Center account
• Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
• Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
• Discover new games with custom game recommendations
• AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
• Multitasking Gestures for iPad
• Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
• Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
• Swipe left or right to switch between apps

• On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant
• Software updates available over the air without tethering
• iCloud support
• iTunes in the Cloud
• Photo Stream
• Documents in the Cloud
• Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history
• Backup
• Contacts, Calendar, and Mail
• Find My iPhone

• Redesigned Music app for iPad

• Hourly weather forecast
• Real-time stock quotes (NOW I CAN TRACK MY MILLIONS)
• Wireless sync to iTunes
• Keyboard improvements
• Split keyboard for iPad
• Improved autocorrection accuracy (TOO BAD FOR THOSE WEBSITES THAT MAKE FUN OF THESE MISTAKES)
• Improved Chinese and Japanese input (THIS WILL COME IN HANDY)
• New Emoji keyboard
• Personal dictionary for autocorrection (SO NOW "ZLATA" WILL BE UNDERSTOOD??)
• Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words
• Accessibility improvements

• Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
• New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
• Option to speak a selection of text
• Custom element labeling for VoiceOver

• Exchange ActiveSync improvements
• Wirelessly sync tasks
• Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
• Improved offline support
• Save a new contact from a GAL service
• More than 1,500 new developer APIs
• Bug fixes

Products compatible with this software update:

• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad 2
• iPad
• iPod touch (4th generation)
• iPod touch (3rd generation)

Apparently, this thing will also refill your toilet paper roll when you're low.